College football

'Noles seek new nonconference foe

TALLAHASSEE - Florida State athletic director Dave Hart expects to finalize a home-and-home series for the 2004 and 2005 seasons this week.

"That's the time frame unless something happens to push it back," he said Saturday night.

With the addition of Miami to the Atlantic Coast Conference beginning next season, the Seminoles lost one of their three nonconference games (Florida and Alabama-Birmingham are the others) and need to add one.

Hart has said he is not looking for a perennial top 25-caliber team, but would like an opponent that helps the Seminoles' recruiting efforts and/or exposure. That could mean a Texas or California school, two states the Seminoles recruit heavily, could be attractive.

LEG UP: FSU senior punter Jesse Stein, who injured his left (non-kicking) leg during the week, seemingly showed the affects. The former Shorecrest star kicked his first punt 32 yards, second 39 and third 37. He had been averaging 42.8 yards. His fourth punt of the first half sailed 56 yards.

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN?: Georgia Tech freshman quarterback Reggie Ball attended an FSU camp as a prep junior and was at Doak Campbell for last year's FSU-Clemson game.

"I thought real high of them," Ball said.

But he never talked to the FSU coaches.

PRE-GAME HONOR: Announcer Gene Deckerhoff, in his 25th year as the voice of FSU football, was recognized in a pregame ceremony that included a video tribute. Deckerhoff received a standing ovation from the crowd and a framed No.25 FSU jersey from the school.

UNIFORM(LY) DIFFERENT: The Seminoles have played three games and worn three different uniform combinations. They were in all garnet Saturday, the fifth straight time in that color scheme against Georgia Tech.

A HOMECOMING: Though only one Georgia Tech starter is from Florida, wide receiver Nate Curry, the Yellow Jackets have raided the Sunshine State for 18 players. That includes freshman quarterback Patrick Carter (Lakewood), freshman running back Rashuan Grant (Jefferson), redshirt freshman receiver Eddie Ivery (Chamberlain), freshman fullback Kyle Pupello (Plant) and freshman defensive end Adamm Oliver (Ridgewood). Ivery is sidelined with a torn ACL; neither he nor Pupello made the trip.

COACHING TREE: Bobby Bowden and Georgia Tech's Chan Gailey cut their coaching teeth at tiny Samford. It was Bowden's first head coaching job (1959 to '62). Gailey was there one season (1993) before moving to the NFL as an assistant.

FAMILIAR FACE: Georgia Tech assistant David Wilson (special teams and recruiting coordinator) served a pair of one-year stints under Bowden at FSU in 1992 and 1996.